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"State schooling is a nominally free, egalitarian service largely run by a fiercely unionised teaching profession for the protection of its members. The profession lives in abiding fear of the idea that schools should compete to attract students, because that would threaten its control of the system's methods and philosophy, not to mention its members' job security, pay scales and career paths." John Roughan (New Zealand Herald, 11 April 2009) The full story is at this Herald web page.
Top state secondary schools seek zoning exemption Sought-after state secondary schools in New Zealand want the government to let them accept children of former students who live outside the zone, the New Zealand Herald reports. Each year, some of Auckland's top schools, including Auckland Grammar School, Epsom Girls Grammar School and Mount Albert Grammar School, turn away students with family connections. Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris said that, in doing so, schools lost history and character. Old boys supported the school through donations and involvement in school life but were unlikely to offer this if their sons were turned away, he told the Herald. To read the full New Zealand Herald report, go to this web page.
Register for private schools idea finds broad approval Private schools would be put on a register and have to prove their financial viability under Law Commission proposals. Setting up a statutory register of private schools, with conditions on registration, has support from the leading private schools lobby group, a teachers' union and the Education Review Office, the Press has reported. Further information is at this web page.
Slow economy boosts numbers wanting to be teachers Universities have reported booming rolls for teaching programmes this year, partly because in the slow economy people are reviewing their careers, the Dominion Post reports. Teacher trainees this year include a winemaker, head chef, company manager, several engineers, a florist and a 62-year-old accountant. The Dominion Post article is at this web page.
Victoria University faculties' funds cut by $5.3 million Departments at Wellington's Victoria University face widespread budget cuts with all but one faculty facing a reduced 2009 budget compared with last year, according to figures in the Dominion Post. Total funding over the five departments was $150.2 million for 2009, compared with $155.5 million last year, a difference of $5.3 million, the newspaper has reported. Further information is at this web page.
Sale of ABC childcare centres delayed Details of the sale of New Zealand's 127 ABC childcare centre expected last month are still a number of weeks away, according to the Press. Expressions of interest from four potential buyers for the ABC childcare centres closed on March 6 and four potential buyers, all reportedly from New Zealand, were shortlisted. Further information is at this web page.
New Zealand will see its first trial of a military-style boot camp for young offenders by the end of the year, the Press reports. Further information is at this web page.
Failing UK primary schools should be turned into academies, says report Poorly performing state primary schools in the United Kingdom should be turned into academies and given more independence to raise standards, according to a right-wing think-tank, the Guardian reports. The report by Policy Exchange advocates a blend of Swedish free schools, American charter schools and the British academies programme, suggesting this would "dramatically raise educational standards". In Sweden and the United States of America, independent state-funded schools have improved pupils' grades, the report argues. To download the Policy Exchange publication A Guide to School Choice Reforms, go to this web page. The Guardian story is at this web page.
UK universities partner firm to provide one-year cramming courses Several British universities are going into partnership with a private provider to offer a one-year cramming course to international students who do not meet their entry criteria. The on-campus course would enable the students to enter degree courses in the second year, Times Higher Education reports. The diploma was offered in computing, business and international relations, and students would also receive intensive English-language tuition. To read more details about the scheme, go to this web page.
British parents awarded grant for home schooling A group of British parents has been awarded £10,450 grant to help fund schooling outside the state school system, the Conservative Party's local government website reports. The payment by Essex County Council followed discussions about the possibility of parents establishing their own school, after the parents opted for home schooling instead of the school they were zoned for. The grant would help the six families to pool their resources and school their children as they saw fit.
Irish students to pay college fees The Irish Cabinet is set to decide on a new system of college tuition charges, the Irish Times reports. Minister for education Batt O'Keeffe was expected to opt for a mix of fees and graduate taxes or loans, which would be linked to income. A "study now, pay later" scheme was expected, with students from middle- and higher-income families liable to repay the cost of their fees after graduation. Those on low incomes would be exempt from any new charges. To read more, visit this web page.
Bridgepoint Education Inc raises $141.8mn in IPO Bridgepoint Education Inc, which offers post-secondary courses online and in class, raised US$141.8 million in its initial public offering (IPO), Bloomberg reports. Bridgepoint, based in San Diego, sold 13.5 million shares for US$10.50 each. Further information is at this web page.
Voucher students do better on reading tests Students who attended private schools with the aid of federal vouchers in Washington DC outscored public school students on reading tests, according to a US Department of Education report. To access the report, go to this web page. To read the Washington Post's coverage of it, go to this web page. To learn more about the Alliance for School Choice's interpretation of the findings, go to this web page.
Online charter school popular with parents, students Chicago Virtual Charter School has become a popular alternative to traditional public schools for both parents and students, the Chicago Tribune reports. The school, the city's only online programme for kindergarten through high school, met the measure of "adequate yearly progress", mandated under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, last year - more than 30 percent of the state's schools did not. Charter schools -- especially those with an online component -- stood to gain from federal aid promised for school reform by US education secretary Arne Duncan, the paper reported. To read the full story about Chicago Virtual Charter School, go to this web page.
School vouchers proposed for South Carolina A Democrat politician is backing a bill giving students a publicly paid scholarship or tuition grant to go to a private school, the State reports. South Carolina senator Richard Ford made the case that the students who would benefit most from a voucher-style programme in South Carolina were African-Americans in poorly performing schools. He wanted to give taxpaying parents a tax credit to send their children to the school of their choice, while lower-income children could get the same money in a scholarship. To read more, go to this web page.
Teacher strikes 'significantly affect' student performance Work stoppages in elementary (primary) schools have significant negative impacts on student performance, according to a study by Canadian think-thank the C. D. Howe Institute. Read the study at this web page.
US IT company to provide tech support to public schools An IT company has agreed to provide technology support to a Texas public school district, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. Rackspace would furnish funding and expertise for technology in classrooms as well as facility upgrades, literacy projects, parent and teacher academies, access to community resources and investment in school programmes. The company expected to contribute up to US$500,000 worth of cash, supplies and expertise to the 70-school district over coming years. To read more details of the agreement, go to this web page.
Schools to sell buildings to highest bidder A bill could allow Kansas school boards to sell their buildings to the highest bidder, including charter schools, the Kansas Star reports. The bill, if passed, would overturn restrictions on the sale of public school buildings to charter schools, liquor stores, adult entertainment venues, distilleries and landfills. Further information is at this web page.
South Koreans spend US$14 billion on tutoring in 2008 South Koreans' spending on private education jumped more than 7 percent in 2008 despite the protracted economic downturn, the Korea Times reports. South Korean parents spent a total of US$14 billion on private education last year. Spending reached a monthly average of US$844 per household, a three-fold increase since 2000. To read more details, go to this web page.
More than 9,000 scholarships offered to private students More than 9,000 students from private universities in North Sumatra and Aceh will receive scholarships from local administrations, the Jakarta Post reports. The selection process will involve students across at least 233 private universities in both North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. To read more, go to this web page.
Fees may soar at Qatar private schools Non-Arab private schools in Qatar have been given "carte blanche" by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to charge as much as they want, the Gulf Times reports. The ministry said the schools were free to charge whatever fees they deemed appropriate and additional charges, such as registration, were set at the schools' own discretion. To read more, go to this web page. |
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